short shrift
noun
Did you know?
We’ve got a confession to make, but we’ll keep it brief: while it’s technically possible to make “long shrift” of something, you’re unlikely to find long shrift in our (virtual or actual) pages anytime soon. Short shrift, on the other hand, has been keeping it real—real terse, that is—for centuries. The earliest known use of the phrase comes from William Shakespeare’s play Richard III, in which Lord Hastings, who has been condemned by King Richard to be beheaded, is told by Sir Richard Ratcliffe to “Make a short shrift” as the king “longs to see your head.” Although now archaic, the noun shrift was understood in Shakespeare’s time to refer to the confession or absolution of sins, so “make a short shrift” meant, quite literally, “keep your confession short.” However, since at least the 19th century the phrase has been used figuratively to refer to a small or inadequate amount of time or attention given to something.
Examples of short shrift in a Sentence
Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 12 Oct. 2025
Yet the urge to treat this incredible look at how legacies of pain reverberate through generations as just a showcase for the star’s formidable discipline and talent should be pushed aside, because that would be giving the movie itself short shrift.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
That’s not to say that the green goddess gets the short shrift.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
Leaders shouldn’t give short shrift to soft skills either.
—Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for short shrift
Cite this Entry
“Short shrift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20shrift. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share